Preserving, maintaining, and restoring the physical, chemical and biological integrity of our nation's waters are goals expressed in the Federal Clean Water Act and shared by DES. The Biomonitoring Program assesses the biological health and integrity of aquatic ecosystems throughout the state. The results of these assessments are used to establish reference locations for "least disturbed" conditions in the state, identifying areas that are biologically impaired, and for prioritizing those areas needing management, restoration, or preservation efforts. more...

Publications

Biomonitoring Publications
The DES Biomonitoring Program has prepared several publications addressing field protocols for data collection, classification of biological communities, development of biological indices, and reports on the health of sites that have been sampled. Please see the following links to learn more about the Biomonitoring Program.